LONDON: Britain’s Trades Union Congress has urged BBC staff and workers in other sectors to participate in a “workplace day of action” on Thursday by wearing the colors of the Palestinian flag or a keffiyeh.

Organizers said their call for action is intended as a gesture of solidarity and to support demands for a permanent ceasefire and end to the violence in Gaza, and the release of all hostages.

The TUC, an umbrella organization that represents 5.5 million members of 48 trade unions, suggested that employees “wear something red, green, black, or a Palestinian keffiyeh to visibly show solidarity” in their workplaces.

The National Union of Journalists informed its members of the protest last week and condemned the actions of the Israeli government, which it said have resulted in the deaths of at least 135 Palestinian journalists since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas last year.

“The NUJ is urging branches and chapels to show support on the day and amplify the union’s calls,” it said.

However, The Times newspaper reported on Wednesday that the campaign has drawn criticism, particularly from Jewish staff at the BBC who raised concerns that it violates the broadcaster’s strict guidelines on impartiality and risks upsetting colleagues.

A spokesperson for the TUC emphasized the need for sensitivity while participating in the protest.

“The day of action is focused on the TUC’s call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages and political prisoners,” the organization said.

“We are advising trade union members to undertake the action respectfully and to discuss with colleagues what action is best suited to their workplace.”

LONDON: The Committee to Protect Journalists has called for an international investigation into “possible war crimes” after separate investigations by The Guardian and Human Rights Watch concluded that Israel deliberately targeted and killed three journalists in southern Lebanon.

“Journalists are civilians and must never be targeted,” said CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg. “Israel must be held accountable for its actions and the international community must act to ensure that journalist murders are not allowed to go unpunished.”

HRW and The Guardian revealed on Monday that the Oct. 25 airstrike in Hasbaya, southern Lebanon, was carried out using a US-supplied bomb guidance kit.

The attack killed Ghassan Najjar, Mohammed Reda, and Wissam Kassem — journalists and media workers affiliated with Hezbollah-linked outlets — and injured three others.

The strike targeted a chalet in a Druze-majority area, which had been used as a press hub for over 20 days by more than a dozen journalists.

The Israeli military initially claimed the attack targeted a “Hezbollah military structure” harboring “terrorists” but later stated the incident was under review after discovering journalists were among the victims.

Investigations found no evidence of military presence or activity at the site. Analysis of shrapnel, video footage, satellite images, and interviews with survivors suggested the attack was a deliberate strike on civilians, constituting an apparent war crime.

HRW noted: “Information reviewed indicates that the Israeli military knew or should have known that journalists were staying in the area and in the targeted building.”

Legal experts also pointed to potential US complicity due to its provision of the weaponry used in the strike.

The incident follows the Oct. 13 killing of Lebanese journalist Issam Abdallah in an Israeli tank strike, which also wounded six other journalists.

Independent investigations by Reuters, AFP, HRW, Amnesty International, and Reporters Without Borders concluded the attack deliberately targeted journalists who were clearly identifiable.

Since the outbreak of hostilities in October, CPJ has confirmed the deaths of six Lebanese journalists.

In its Deadly Pattern report published before the war, CPJ found that Israel had failed to hold its military accountable for the killings of at least 20 journalists over the past 22 years.

Tuesday’s announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has brought a pause to hostilities, but media watchdogs will likely continue to demand accountability for attacks on journalists and press freedom violations.